The soon-to-be ex-congressman from Fort Myers is contemplating the possibility of becoming a television personality.

Since
losing his Senate bid last month to Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson,
Mack has made appearances on cable news shows with his wife, California
GOP Rep. Mary Bono Mack, who also is leaving Congress after losing her
re-election bid.

The
husband and wife have debated each other on spending cuts and tax
increases set to take effect in January, mused about life in Congress
and, in a live shot from Newtown, Conn., last week, discussed mental
health and gun control.

Mack
said he and his more politically centrist wife have talked about the
"exciting and interesting" possibility of working as TV commentators or
having their own show.

"What
makes us an interesting fit in this is we're both Republicans, but we
have different voting records and we come to our decisions about policy
and politics differently," Mack said Thursday. "I think that could be
interesting to a lot of people."

Trey Radel, the Fort Myers Republican who is succeeding Mack next month, gave the Macks a thumbs-up as a TV couple.

"I think it would be a great show," the onetime TV and radio personality said.

Can it work?

There's increasing
demand for succinct and entertaining political commentary on cable news
and talk radio, said Norm Ornstein, a congressional observer at the
American Enterprise Institute, a Washington think tank. The Macks might
be appealing candidates to fill that void, he said.

They
also enjoy celebrity coattails. Mack is the son of a former U.S.
senator and the great-grandson of a baseball legend. His wife is the
widow of musical icon and former Republican Rep. Sonny Bono, whose seat
she won after he died in 1998.

"They've
got some things going for them," Ornstein said. "They're personable.
They're attractive. They're articulate. They're already getting
exposure. And you can imagine a possibility (of them) either becoming
part of a stable of commentators on a network like CNN or even at some
point getting their own show."

Mack's consideration of an on-air job suggests he's not particularly
interested in running for office again, after eight years on Capitol
Hill and four years as state lawmaker representing Fort Lauderdale.

Mack said he hasn't ruled out another run for office, but it's not a burning desire.

"Before
I got into politics, I was very passionate about our country," he said.
"The things that I fought for here are things that I believed in for a
long time, and I don't think that'll stop just because I'm now not
elected. Like everybody else back home that's a voter or participates in
the process, it is part of our responsibility to let our voices be
heard, so I'm sure I will continue to do that in some way."

Mack's
exit probably won't disappoint House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, who
couldn't count on the Fort Myers Republican to support the fiscal deals
GOP leaders cobbled together to keep the government running or avoid
default. After a while, Mack said, Boehner and his lieutenants didn't
even bother lobbying him for support.

A
fiscal conservative, Mack was one of only 20 House lawmakers (12
Republicans and eight Democrats) who voted against each of the six
measures last year aimed at keeping the government from shutting down or
defaulting.

The Washington Post dubbed the group "the Apocalypse Caucus."

Mack is proud he didn't buckle.

"I
wasn't here asking for something," he said. "I wasn't here like I want
to be the chairman of some big committee. Or I want this or I want that
trophy. I wanted to stand and fight for the principles that I believe
in. And I knew that early on that that meant I would probably be opposed
to what a lot of the leadership was doing."

Mack
conceded his opposition probably hurt his ability to get leadership to
back his priorities. That included his Penny Plan to shave one cent from
every dollar of federal spending as a way to cut deficits.

He leaves friends behind.

Earlier
this month, during the last meeting of the House Foreign Affairs
Subcommittee he chairs, Mack was reminded of that affection.